recommendation on battery charger for P-cars

tmctguer · tmctguer's Garage

since i often go for long periods without driving my P-cars, i am looking for a recommendation on a battery charger/jump starter. i presently have a small trickle charger which i have used for overnight charging. however, i am now looking for a unit with wheels that can jump start a car, possibly test batteries, as well as charge batteries.

i've searched the web and looked at Schumacher, Sears, and Harbor Freight units, as well as the ones sold by Pelican. i'm wanting to stay in the $150 - $250 range.

i've also seen battery testers which induce a 100+ amp load for 10 seconds. are these a good tool to have? are the battery testers on some charger/jump starter units really any good? or they just VOM's?

any suggestions?

mwbaum · mwbaum's Garage

IF Pelican does not sell one...I recommend the Sears model....I use a trickle charger for my P cars so they dont run down if I dont drive em for a few weeks (or months in the winter). If you have a run down battery, the Sears unit that does 6V and 12V and has the extra boost function for fast start is great...I have used mine several times over the last couple of years and it is excellent imo.

Bill Verburg · Bill Verburg's Garage

Here are the 3 I have, the big Sears never gets used. The medium Exide is used for winter storage, hook it up in Dec. and forget about it until Mar. the small Exide has the same capability as the medium but is designed for permanent mount in the car, as you can see I never got around to permantly mounting it because the medium is so convienient to use.

The 2 exides have a chip that monitors current flow to prevent overcharging, works great!

Randy Webb · 09-28-2003, 01:27 PM

"The 2 exides have a chip that monitors current flow to prevent overcharging, works great!"

- That's the type you want -- called a float "charger." Many call these battery maintainers not charges, and reserve the latter name for bringing a run down battery back up. See the info at the giant battery site that was posted on the Early 911 list recently. He lists 3 brand names -- Schumacher is one.

Randy Webb · 09-28-2003, 01:28 PM

I should have mentioned: you want to avoid letting the battery run down in the first place. The things you mention in your post are not what you want if you desire long battery life.

tmctguer · tmctguer's Garage

i've been flamed before on my driving habits (or lack thereof). and, by the way, i went with a sears unit.

thanks for everyone's suggestions.